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In July 2023, Green for Life initiated operations in Cell 6 at the Arbor Hills Landfill, situated dangerously close to Northville Township neighborhoods, near the intersection of Napier and Six Mile Roads. The Conservancy Initiative immediately raised a red flag, expressing concerns about the poor environmental compliance record of Arbor Hills and the potential impact of Cell 6 on the community. Unfortunately, our fears have proven valid.
EGLE’s comments questioned GFL's assertion that “The combined efforts of all the remedial construction conducted by the Arbor Hills staff appears to have eliminated the odor source.” EGLE acknowledged it appeared the odor problem may have been solved when there was only 1 odor complaint related to Arbor Hills from October 13th – 16th but when over 30 odor complaints were received between October 17th – 20th, EGLE returned to the landfill area to make an assessment. Noxious odors were observed in Northville Township neighborhoods on October 20th and a second Violation Notice.
On October, 26th Northville Township filed a motion in the 3rd Circuit Court of Wayne County to request a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) requiring the Arbor Hills Landfill (AHL) to stop placing waste in Cell 6A. Please take a moment to review this legal document.
The chart below demonstrates noxious odors from the Arbor Hills Landfill began immediately after Cell 6 was put into use in early July. As the odor complaints have grown, we have learned the Gas Collection and Control System (GCCS) for Cell 6 is not ready for use.
Waste should not have been placed in Cell 6 until the GCCS was ready for use.
As the weather has started to change, the odors from the Arbor Hills Landfill have become much stronger, and more noxious. The weather has predictably made a seasonal shift. Temperatures have begun to drop, and the wind started blowing out of the Southwest (i.e. towards Northville Township neighborhoods). On October 5th and 6th, more than 50 odor complaints were received. The odor is a very strong, noxious, garbage odor emanating from the newly opened Cell 6.
The Conservancy Initiative is reporting another result from our random sampling of the Johson Creek Tributary directly downstream of the landfill. Our samples are as representative of the landfill’s stormwater runoff as we can obtain without gaining access to the landfill’s property. The sample contained PFOS at a concentration of 54 ng/l which is more than 4x higher than Michigan’s Water Quality Standards (12 ng/l). This result is consistent with our previous results.
The Conservancy Initiative has new test results to report that confirm the Arbor Hills Landfill is continuing to impact Johnson Creek with PFOS. A sample taken from the Johnson Creek tributary directly downstream of the Arbor Hills Landfill on June 29, 2023, contained 38 ngl/l of PFOS which is well above water quality standards (R 323.1057) for surface waters of 12 ng/l.
The PFAS acronym refers to a large family of chemicals, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances which are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1940s. They have been used to make nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, some firefighting foams, and products that resist grease, water, and oil.
In late July, The Conservancy Initiative found Arbor Hills’ stormwater runoff was extremely turbid (cloudy) and contain significant suspend solids as it entered Johnson Creek. The Conservancy Initiative has learned a team from the Washtenaw County Drain Commissioner’s office responded (Thank You) to the landfill immediately following our post and together with EGLE is requiring Arbor Hills to take corrective actions. Unfortunately, the corrective actions will take some time to complete and the turdid (cloudy) water discharges are continuing.
While investigating Johnson Creek, The Conservancy Initiative has learned more disturbing news. (See the picture below of the Trout Stream). Based on the turbidity (i.e. - the quality of being cloudy, opaque, or thick with suspended matter) and level of suspended solids observed in the runoff from the landfill, the soil erosion and sediment control efforts of the landfill are not effective. A sampling team from EGLE confirmed that the level of turbidity observed on July 24th is likely an issue for aquatic life.
It has been two years since we discovered PFOS at Arbor Hills Landfill and nothing is being done to measure the PFOS impacts to Johnson Creek. Last week The Conservancy Initiative tried a different tact. We bypassed EGLE and sent a letter directly to GFL to ask them to start periodically sampling and testing their discharges to Johnson Creek.
Arbor Hills has completed the construction of Cell 6 and has been issued an operating license to begin placing waste in Cell 6. The bad news for Northville Township residents is the landfill just moved closer. Cell 6 is approximately 1/2 mile closer to the eastern property lines than the current active landfill section.
The PFAS issues at the Arbor Hills Landfill (AHL) are complex issues. The Conservancy Initiative has been trying to draw more attention to the impacts AHL is having on Johnson Creek and received some unexpected help from MLIVE. MLIVE did a very nice job simplifying the issues in an article he published on MLIVE on June 30, 2022. Please take a moment to review this article.
If you want to understand what the big fuss is over PFAS chemicals or forever chemicals, stream the movie Dark Waters (Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, and Tim Robbins) this weekend. We don’t want to endorse the movie, but it does tell a frightening story.
The MLIVE article and the sampling recently completed by The Conservancy Initiative highlight that the stormwater runoff from AHL is being discharged into Johnson Creek with PFOS, a regulated “forever chemical” with concentrations higher than Michigan Water Quality Standards for Lakes and Streams. The landfill owner, Green for Life, and EGLE are aware of the issues but we have been unable to force periodic sampling of the discharges. The problem is not going to be corrected until it is at least measured.
We hope to have much more discussion on this issue.
In May of this year, an amended complaint was filed on behalf of the Township and included two Northville Township residents as co-plaintiffs. The addition of the Northville Township residents to the lawsuit strengthens Northville Township’s and its resident’s position. For information about possibly joining the lawsuit contact The Mike Cox Law offices at (734) 591-4002.
On May 22, 2023, The Conservancy Initiative lost our patience and obtained a sample from the unnamed tributary to Johnson Creek that the Arbor Hills Landfill uses to discharge both its stormwater runoff. We found PFOS concentrations of 49 ng/l, over 4 times the Michigan water quality standards of 12 ng/l for surface water (test report). In addition to this test, a study published by the Ecology Center found alarming levels of PFOS in a Creek Chad caught in Johnson Creek at the Fish Hatchery Park near downtown Northville. Arbor Hills Landfill is the most likely source of the PFOS found in the creek and the fish sample.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) recently announced a public comment period for two proposed air permit applications submitted by the Arbor Hills Landfill. We encourage all residents to attend the virtual public hearing scheduled for May 18, 2023, and anyone with comments on the permits to submit the comments in writing before the end of the comment period. <CLICK HERE> for a link to the Public Comment Period and the Public Hearing.
One hundred fish were collected from the Rouge, Huron, and Detroit River watersheds as part of a partnership with the Ecology Center to test whole fish for these forever chemicals. The results of their study are alarming, all the fish tested contained PFAS. 9 fish tested from the Rouge River Watershed (includes Northville and Johnson Creek) contained between 11 to 59 parts per billion PFAS. Most alarming for the Northville community was a Creek Chub harvested from Johnson Creek, in the area of the historic fish hatchery, containing 38 parts per billion PFAS.
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